Flexible metal hose



Patentecl May 24, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT oFncs PHILIP MACKENZIE, OF SA1\T .'FANCISGO CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR, IBY MES1\TE ASSIGN- MEN'IS, T0 GAT- G'UN LUBRICA'IING C ORPORATION, OF OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA, A

GORIORATION OF GALIFORNIA FLEXIBLE METAL HOSE Applcation file Mareh 22, 1926. Seria1 m. 96,460.

This invention relates te flexible metal hose intended primarily for use in connection with high pressure lubricating gans.

In grease guns used in high pressure 1ubricating systems the rubber hose can not be made streng enough to carry the pressures when boosters are used, and consequently the metal hose has come into demand for this purpose. Such hose is made up of a number of bent sections coupled together so as to allow relative turning movement in order that various fittings on the parts te be lubricated may be reached. Prior metal hose of this type have made use of a construction which is rather expensive and does not permit suflieient flexibility to afiord the necessary changes in the shape of the hose.

The object of the present invention is to provide swivel joints for a metallic hose, which joints will be simple and inexpensive in construction and will afiord entire freedom of movement, so as to allow the hose to be twisted into various shapes, and which joints on account of their construction and mode of packing will be proof against leaka e.

One form which my invention may assume is exemplified in the followng description and illustrated in the accompanying drawin s, in which ig. 1 shows a perspective view of a metal hose embodying my mvention;

Fig. 2 shows a longitudinal sectional view of two connected sections;

Fig. 3 shows a cross-section on the line 3-?) of Fig. 2.

The hose comprises a number of angular metal sections 10 connected together by means of swivel joints, the angle in each section being over 90 (135 in the illustrated embodiment). Each swivel joint, as shown in Fig. 2, is formeel by telescopically fitting the reduced end portion 11 of one seetion into the socketformed on the end 12 of the other section. The sections are of uniform diameter, and theirouter surfaces abut at seams 21, so that a smooth outer surface is formed on the hose. The end of the reduced portion 11 abuts against a. packing washer 13, whieh packing washer has a beveled face fitted against a tapered end on a metal sleeve 14.

walls of both members, and which key-ways register when the parts are fitted together.

The key in straight form is insertecl through an opening 18 in the wall of the outer mem bel, and then made to encircle the keyway by driving, said key being sufiiciently flexible to follow the contour of the key-way.

The hose may have as many of these swivel j oints as desired; and owing to the bent form of the sections, they can be twisted into various'shapes, so as to reach the diflerent fittings on a machine which otherwise would be inaccessible. The end 19 of: the hose is connected to any suitabletype of gun, and the opposite end 20 is formed with any desired. type of connection for engagement with the fitting on the part to be 1bricated.

In use, the hose may be manipulated like an ordinary rubber hose, the various sections responding to a bending stress in any plane by rotating with respect to each other to automatically bring the hose into a bent shape corresponding to the bencling stress. It is therefore only necessary to move the connection 20 to the position and direction desired, no application of force directly to the hose itself being required. The edges of the sections at the seams 21 always 'remain in abutting relation regardless of the bending of the hose, so that the s1nooth and uninterrupted outer surface of the hose is always maintained.

Various changes in the construction and arrangement of the several parts may be einployed without departing from the spirit of my invention as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Let ters Patent is:

1. An articulated metallic hose for high pluralty of pressure lubrating apparatuscomprising a.

sectons, each secton havng a short substant1ally rectlinear porton at each end, the

axes of said end portions of each section being alt an btuse angleto each otherand the intermedate portion of each section formng. a

smooth curve between the end portions, and

pipe sections,

means formng a lubricant-tight swivel con nection between said sections, said means beng of substantially the sane external diameter as the sections, whereby 'the hose will have a substantally smooth contnuous externa1 surface and be conformable into any one of apluralty of difierent shapes while etainng ts smooth co1tinuous external surace.

2. An articulated metallic hose or high pressure lubrcatng apparatus comprising a plurality of similar thick walled tubular the axes of the ends of each of sad sections being at an obtuse angle relative to each other, each secton being formed in a large radius smooth curve, and means for making a I1brcant-tight swvel joint between said sectons, sad means being loated entire1y wthin the tub111ar sectons and longatons of the external surfaces thereof, whereby the hose will have a substantially smooth continuous serpentni surface and be conformable into a large pluralty of dier-- ent shapes -while at the same time retaining its smooth continuous exbernal sur/ace.

PHILIJ? MACKENZIE.

smlar thick walled tubular p1pe pro- 

